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Vocational Assessment and Evaluation
 Vocational evaluation is a comprehensive, systematic process of identifying and assessing a person’s interests, abilities, strengths, challenges, aptitudes and functional needs relative to employment goals. At Goodwill, individuals with disabilities and other barriers to work are served with a variety of evaluative vocational assessments, career exploration, on-the-job evaluations, and work adjustment trainings. The overall goal is to enable participants to take the first step leading to long term employment, by matching their academic skills, aptitudes, and interests with job and / or training options that exist in the labor market. These are for both adults and transition aged youth (16-24 years old).
Also offered are multi-week sessions of Career Camp for transition youth and young adults who want to gain soft skills and job seeking skills and to explore different types of work to find a career path.
All assessments are conducted by trained, credentialed staff. This program is CARF Accredited.
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Job Development and Placement
At Goodwill, we assist individuals who are referred to us in obtaining employment based on their career goals. Initially, an intake is done, an individualized plan of employment is prepared, and a resume is developed. A Job Action Group meets frequently to sharpen soft skills and job seeking skills and share in job leads with a job developer. Employer contacts are made on behalf of our Job Development referrals and job opportunities are identified. Individualized supported job search or monitoring of independent job search continues until placement is achieved.
Services may include job coaching, community based assessment, job shadowing or internships to achieve employment. Placement follow up services are provided to ensure successful retention of the new job.
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Goodwill Career Academy Workshops
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Formed in 2009, the Goodwill Career Academy is going strong and delivering job seeking skills and job readiness classes to students from referral sources as well as to the general public. Workshops such as Career Discovery, Sharpening Your Image, Professional Resumes, Advanced Interviewing Skills, and Getting a Job with a Criminal Conviction are offered. Many classes are free to the public and others are fee-based. Limited scholarships are available and can be applied for by contacting the Human Services Department.
Click here to view the Goodwill Career Academy calendar for this month.
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Skills Training
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Are you in need of education that will lead directly to a job? Are you seeking employment that is in a growth industry in Southwestern Michigan? Goodwill’s proprietary school may be able to help! Goodwill currently has 4 certificate programs designed to give the student the skills necessary to obtain a job in the industry of their choice.
- Computer Skills Training
- Retail Skills Certificate (utilizing the National Retail Federation curriculum)
- Customer Service Representative Training
- Clerical / Administrative Certification
For a catalog of school information, click here.
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| Family Literacy and Adult Education |
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In 2009 - 2010, the number of students served by Goodwill’s Literacy Program skyrocketed - increasing 152% from the previous year.
Adult Basic Education and GED Preparation:
Goodwill provides adult basic education (5th grade levels and up) and GED preparation (9th grade level and up) as part of a collaborative with Kalamazoo Public Schools and the Kalamazoo Literacy Council. This critical service is offered FREE to the public with intensive one-on-one tutoring, and morning and afternoon classes in Math and English. As part of Goodwill’s partnership with KPS and KLC, remedial reading assistance is offered. Our innovative 'drop in' approach allows students to work one on one with teachers while catering to their individual schedules.
Family Literacy:
Our unique partnership with Even Start allows families to address the literacy needs of both parents and their young children. As a comprehensive program, Goodwill works to increase student education, employability and self-sufficiency to help break the cycle of intergenerational poverty.
For a calendar of entrance testing dates and times, classes available, GED testing times, and Even Start Family Activities click here.
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| Goodwill Career Center - Sturgis, Michigan |
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Goodwill Career Center
Sturgis Central Commons Building
107 W. West Street, Suite 209
Sturgis, MI
(269) 659-4600
In March 2010, Goodwill opened its first auxiliary human services campus in St. Joseph County. The City of Sturgis and the surrounding communities welcomed this addition of services which include free computer classes, career exploration, soft skill and job seeking classes and connections to area employers. In addition, appointments can be made for one-on-one assistance from our Career Academy staff.
Workshops include information on the following topics:
- Career Planning
- Interview Coaching
- Job Search Assistance
- Skills Evaluation
- Michigan Talent Bank Connection
Click here for the Sturgis Career Center schedule for this month.
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Workers on Wheels
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Driven to Succeed
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Over 90% of the people in Workers on Wheels this year remained employed at least 12 months.
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 Transportation has been identified as the most prevalent barrier to employment. Workers on Wheels provides participants with reliable vehicles for the purpose of maintaining or gaining employment.
Participants receive:
- Vehicles that have been inspected and are affordable and reliable
- Quarterly vehicle inspection and service
- Participant training to ensure that the vehicle owner has basic car care and preventative maintenance skills
Your Vehicle Donations are Needed!
Your donation provides someone with the transportation that they need to become self-sufficient and donations are tax deductible. Consider donating as an option to trade-in.
Call our Program Manager today, at either (269) 382-0490 or 1-800-343-0174, to donate your vehicle or or to request more information.
Donor Information
In accordance with the new 2005 Tax Laws, if it is determined after mechanical inspection that the vehicle can be used by the program for a participant, the donor will receive a Tax Credit Certificate (4284) for Auto Donation (State), which is a $50.00 credit for individuals and a $100.00 credit for husband & wife filing jointly or single business tax. They will also receive a (1098-C) form, (Federal) an Acknowledgement Letter from the program containing the vehicle identification number and Kelly Blue Book value information to aid them in assigning their own fair market value which the donor would be entitled to a percentage of based on their tax bracket. (Goodwill does not assign the vehicle value, this information is provided only as a courtesy to the donor).
If the vehicle cannot be used by the program for a participant which would generally be due to the agencies inability to make the vehicle roadworthy and safe within a reasonable cost, the donor would receive an Acknowledgement letter from the program containing the vehicle identification number, the (4284) Tax Credit Certificate (State), and the (1098-C) form (Federal) both containing the amount that the vehicle was disposed for which the donor would be entitled to claim a percentage of depending on their tax bracket.
In either case, we will retain in our records a copy of what the blue book says the vehicle is worth at the time of donation and/or the amount the vehicle was actually disposed for if it was not used in the program. This information will be sent within 30 days or less from the time of vehicle pick-up. The program is looking for mechanically sound vehicles that need minor or no repairs. However, we do in rare cases accept non-running vehicles if they provide the means to repair an existing program vehicle, or need minor repairs to become mechanically sound.
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